If flowers sounded the way they look, those fireworks noises could actually be coming from your
garden.

The July Fourth weekend offers an ideal excuse to consider plants that produce fireworks-shaped
blooms — with petals or other structures radiating from a central core. They’re a lot quieter than
the exploding airborne variety, but they nevertheless bring diversity and excitement to the
landscape.

In terms of design, try pairing them with plants that have contrasting forms, or place them
against a plain background (a wall or lawn, for example) to accentuate the flower structure.

So go ahead — declare your independence and add some of nature’s pyrotechnics to your yard.

Diana Lockwood is a freelance writer covering gardening topics.

cdecker@dispatch.com

Bee balm

• Type: perennial, up to 4 feet tall depending on variety

• Flowers: 1-inch or larger shaggy blossoms in white, red, pink and more colors during the
summer